Damper-control means.



.|. E. WINTERBOTHAM.

DAMPER CONTROL MEANS. APPLICATION FILED APR.14.1915.

Patented Mar. 4,1919. wwmrwmw To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. WINTERBOTHAM, 0F WINNETKA, ILLINOIS.

DAMPERfCONTROL MEANS.

Application filed April 14,

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. WINTER- BoTHAM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, ref siding at Winnetka, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Damper-Control Means, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactspecification.

This invention relates to damper control means or mechanism, and moreparticularly to such mechanism whereby effective action thereof istimed.

I am `aware of the fact that there are many devices of a similar natureon the market, but in each case the mechanism is comparativelycomplicated and correspondingly expensive. At the same time suchmechanisms are the most apt to be rendered inoperative.

Therefore, it is the main object of my invention to simplify and improvedamper regulating apparatus and produce a durable and inexpensivearrangement.

Another object is to provide an arrangement adapted to meet therequirement for successful commercial operation.

These and other objects are accomplished by providing damper regulatingapparatus having a minimum number of simple cooperating parts includinga timed actuating member for automatically changing draft conditionsafter the same has been properly set.

The invention is illustrated on the accompanying sheet of drawings inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation of a furnace and my improved damperregulating means associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear elevation of the alarm clock forming a partof my improved mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a sidel elevation of Ythe same clock, parts being broken away,showing simplified arrangement of parts foraccomf plishing the desiredresults; and Y Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the same clocktakenv .in the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 3 showing the damper actuatingspring. v

The various novel features of my Yinvention will be apparentfrom thefollowing description and drawings, andwill be particularly pointed outin the appended claims;

My invention is illustrated in connection with a furnace 10 having theusual firing Specification of Letters Patent.

1915. serial No. 21,224.

door 11, hot air conveying pipes 12, smoke pipe 13 and ash door 14. Theash door is provided with the usual pivotally mounted draft'damper 15and the bottom portion 16 of the smoke pipe has a common form ofpivotally mounted check damper '17. To control the operation of thesedraft and check dampers in an efcient manner isa problem to which agreat deal of attention has been directed. This particular type ofcontrol means finds effective application where the dampers are set by amanual operation at night and are automatically actuated in the morningat a desired time to cause a proper heating effect to prevail. Alldevices of this nature heretofore produced are relatively expensive,more or less cornplicated, having too many. parts, which readily get outof order, and are generally in. efficient and unsatisfactory.

My improved and simplified damper control means includes a clock 18having an alarm mechanism 19 provided with a shaft 20, an actuatingspring 21 therefor, and tripping mechanism 22. Removably secured to thisshaft 20 is an auxiliary shaft or key member 39 formed integrally withwhich is a circular disk 23 having an opening 24 extending transverselytherethrough, there being a flexible member 25 passed through saidopening and adapted to be wound and un- Wound on said auxiliary shafto-r key on opposite sides of saiddisk. It will be noted that thefiexible member 25 is vwo-und in different directions on opposite sidesof said disk, the free end of one portion 26 ofthe Patented Mar. 4,1919.

flexible member being connected to the draft y damper 15 and the freeend of the other portion 27 being connected to the check damper 17. Thislatter portion 27 may be passedv through guide openings 28 in rafters 29and over a' suitably supported pulley 30, the clock itself beingsuitably supported on a beam 31 between one of the rafters 29 andanother member 32. To manually operate the shaft'39 and thereby theshaft 20, the former is provided with an integrally formedhandle 33,adjacent to which also is Y Yan integrally formed collar 34 to limit thewidth of Winding. of the flexible memberf25 in onedirection.

" `The Voperation of this 'damper control mechanism isV as follows: Asshown in Fig. 1, the draft damper 15 is closed and the check damper 17is opened, it being assumed that the furnaceA fire 26 of the flexiblemember being unwound tov a cer-tain extent from the key shaft 39- on oneside of the disk 23, to' permit thedraft damper 15 to close of its oWnWeight. At the same time, the other portion 27 of the flexible member isWound. a certain amount on said key shaft; 39 ony the other side of saiddisk 23;, Icausing the check damper 17 tojbe opened. Duringl this sameoperation the alarm or actuating spring 21 is Wound up to a desireddegree to store an increased amount. yof energy therein.. The fire withthis setting of the dampers is checked fol1 the night. As is Well knovvmunder these conditions the temperature of thehouse decreases. To. causeanincrease in the temperature to a, comfortable degree by the usual timeof arising.,I it isnecessary that the damper conditions be reversed. afeiv hours in advance thereof, such for example, as five oclock in themorning.. Such being the case, the alarm is set, as indicated in Figs. 1and 2, to trip `at the desired hour.

lVhen this hour'in the morning is reached,

the tripping mechanism is actuatedY in the usual Way,I theshafts 20. and.39 thereby be` ing free to rotate in a clockwise direction; under theiniuence of the spring 21, causing,A portion 26 of flexible member toWind up on-l the key shaft 39 on the first side of disk. 23f

to open-draft damper 15` and permitting portionv 27 of flexible memberto unwind fromv said key shaft on the second side of said disk. underthe, influence of the automatic closing movement of check damper 17.,Under these, conditions, the draft damper 15 will be open and the checkdamper 17 closed to causey a more rapid combustion ofthe fuel to raisethe temperature. 0f the house.V At night the,l dampers and clock may beimanually: set again preparatory to. an automatic reversing ofdamperconditions in the morning at a desired time.

This simple, compact and durablev arrangeT ment which is reliable andinexpensive, is. adapted to and does, meet, the requirements for whichit is intended.

It is evident that modifications, of this arrangemcntV may be made,4 andit is my in-V tention to cover all;suchmodications. which.

do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope ofrmy invention asset forthin thel following claims..

capte: ofithls'patent' maybe obtained yforf'ilve cent1 each, byaddressing the 'Gbmmisscipnerof latent,`l 4

tegrall'y formed disk and handle, said disk lto be Wound and` unWound 1,In damper control means for furnaces, a clock having an alarm mechanismprovided with a shaft, an actuating spring and tripping mechanism, saidshaft including an inhaving an opening therethrough, `and a flexiblemember extending through said opening vto. form securing means for theflexible member and being operatively connected to the dampers of thefurnace, said flexible member bei-ng-1 arranged to. be Wound-on said;shaft on one.- sideof said disk` and univound from said shaft on theother side of said disl'uvhen said shaft is, actuated by said handle to.storel actuating energy in said springandcausear 7'5 manu-al operation.of the damper-s in one direction.

2. In damper control means for furnaces, a clock havingI an. alarmmechanism pro.- vided vvith. aVv sha ft anactuating spring and trippingmechanism, said shaft including an' integrally formed disk and handle,said disk having an opening'therethrough and a. fleXible memberextending through said opening to forniv securing` means for theliexible member and being operatively connected toj the dampers of thefurnace, said flexible member being arranged to be Wound on said shafton one, side of said disk andA unavound from vsaid shaft4 on the otherside of said disk when said shaft is actuated by said handle; to storeactuating energy in saidy spring and. cause a manu-al, operation of thedampers in one direction, said shaft when released' from Y said trippingmechanism. being actuated by said spring whereupon said flexible memberis unvvound from said shaft on thefirsty side of said. disk'tocause anautomatic operation of the dampersin another direction.

3. In damper control mea-ns; for furnaces, a clock having an alarmkmechanism pro,-A vided With a: controlled shaft having a disk;intermediate the ends of. the shaft, a, flexible memberthe ends of whichare. connected te the dampers of the furnace and,r an interme.- 105diateportion. secured tol said disk. and adapt ed to be Wound andunwound on.A said shaft.'4 on oppositev sides of said disk..

4L. In damper control means for furnaces, a clock having an alarmmechanism provided Wth a controlled shaft, a key-secured thereto.havingV a, disk, a flexible'member. connected to the dampers of theVfurnace and associated With said disk' and, adapted* on said key onopposite sides of saidy disk simultaneously, When'the key isactuated. l

` JOSEPH'E. WINTERBOTHAM.

Y Washington, D. 0;

